New York police arrest man after officers pelted in massive snowball fight
A 27-year-old influencer known as ‘Diaper Man’ faces charges as his lawyer calls his arrest ‘politicised’
A social media content creator was arrested Thursday after New York City police said he was one of a number of people who pelted officers with snow and ice during a massive snowball fight in Washington Square Park this week.
Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, was charged with obstructing governmental administration, a misdemeanour, and harassment, a non-criminal violation.
He appeared in handcuffs and wearing an olive-green sweatsuit during his arraignment Thursday evening in Manhattan criminal court. He wasn’t asked to enter a plea, and was released, pending his next court date on April 9.
Coulibaly did not speak during the brief hearing, which was attended by at least a dozen uniformed police officers and police union officials.
But George Vomvolakis, his lawyer, told the judge that the “circumstances surrounding his arrest have been politicised”. He suggested Coulibaly was caught in the middle of a rift between the police department and City Hall.
“I don’t want to minimise what happened to the officers, but I think the police department is using this because of their dislike or disdain for the mayor,” Vomvolakis said. “I think they’re taking it out on Mr Coulibaly. They want to pick a fight with the mayor.”